Name: Jose Canjulo
Date of Birth: 2/10/2005
Place of Birth: Windhoek
Nickname: Jo
Current club: TUKS Swimming Club (Pretoria)
Previous club/s: Namibia Swimming Academy (Windhoek)
Career achievements: Single-handedly placing Namibia third at the Junior Africa Championships and winning a total of eight medals in all races I competed in. I also set a record in the 400m at that competition.
Biggest influence on your career? My mother. She was there when I started baby swimming sessions at just 4 months and I have never stopped since.
What are some of the values that your mother has installed in you as an athlete? My mother is a single parent and she has always given me space to grow and find myself. I set goals and she will always support me in achieving those goals.
If not swimming, which other sport/s would you have opted for? Basketball and athletics.
You are on a quest to qualify for the 2022 Youth Olympic Games, how’s that process going? I have positioned myself by training with the best swimming coach in Africa Rocco Meiring and also training hard with the most competitive swimming squad in South Africa, the TUKS Swimming club. I have been training to improve my times, my technique, my dives and more, so I can get closer to the qualifying times for the Youth Olympic Games.
How does being an athlete make you a better person? It teaches me to remain humble, disciplined and to make the right choices in life. I want to use my talent to send out a positive message of what is possible.
Do you think attitude is a factor in winning? Definitely, even showing up for training and school daily already makes you a winner.
What should Namibia do to discover and nurture more talents like yourself? I would say equal opportunities must be created for all athletes to showcase their talents. Being an athlete is a journey that requires unfailing commitment, planning and support from the clubs and sports authorities.
You received sponsorship from Veya Information Communication Technology to help further your career. How has Covid-19 impacted that sponsorship, as there have been no competitions? VEYA remains committed to my career through good and bad times.
What’s that one thing you always do after a good performance? I pray and thank God for an opportunity to race and to have excellent results. I also review my race on the video to see if I need to improve anything, then I practice those improvements at the next training.
Your ambitions for 2020 and beyond: To become one of the best junior swimmers in Africa and the world at large. I dream of representing Namibia at the Olympics, just like the legendary Frank Fredericks.